AAPM&R Connection E-Newsletter

Your Academy aims to provide the specialty with high-value compensation reports. To date, we will not be able to provide those reports because statistical significance has not been reached.

Help us provide much-needed information to the specialty, and participate in the Compensation Survey. If enough members participate, AAPM&R members who participate will receive the 2017 in-depth reports for free!

Check your email inbox for your login information, including your source ID. The last email was sent to you on Monday, June 26. While we understand the source ID adds an additional step to the process, it’s essential in protecting the data that you submit. If you experience any issues with the survey, please contact Angie Collins via email at acollins@ecgmc.com or via phone at (314) 448-4454.

On Friday, October 13, we are taking 24 hours to celebrate the many aspects of physiatry that make it unique and impactful. We want YOU to be a part of the celebration, both leading up to and on the big day. Get your practice in on the celebration—tell everyone to add it to their calendars!

You can be involved in the efforts currently being planned and/or do something unique for your team. Learn more about how you can submit content. We need your stories and pictures to make this a fun celebration! Stay tuned for further details.

In accordance with our policies, we want to inform you of a small change to our Privacy Policy, section 7.3, Promotional Offers from AAPM&R. We have added "If your membership status changes at any time, your email preferences may return to default settings and require additional changes." This is to address system limitations we may encounter when leveraging new technologies. As always, you can manage your email settings at any time by logging into your Member Profile. Thank you for your understanding.
 

Last call, researchers! June 30 is the final day to submit your new, original research for the 2017 Annual Assembly. All submissions must be brand-new research abstracts only, no case studies. Hurry and send yours in today!

The Preliminary Program highlights all the happenings at the Annual Assembly, including our full schedule-at-a-glance, preconference courses, educational sessions, networking opportunities, our new skills labs and Learning Center, and other events. You’ll also find hotel, travel, and registration information. Can’t wait? View our online version. Register by August 30 to take advantage of member discounts and early-bird registration rates!

The 2017 Annual Assembly preconference courses and skills labs have been approved by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) for Maintenance of Certification^® (MOC^®) Part II Self-Assessment credit. Attendees must complete a post-test to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, which will be commensurate with the number of CME available for each precourse and skills lab.

Residents: Listen to the new 2016 Annual Assembly Rewind for Residents. In these highly-rated sessions from last year’s Assembly, PM&R experts explore:

• Establishing a career path
• Contract negotiation
• Practical management tips
• Spinal intervention
  

Member residents can access all 5 sessions for just $49!

This year, 43.8% of eligible providers will be receiving a penalty from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of at least 2% for failing to meet their quality reporting requirements in 2015. Break this trend and meet all your 2017 MIPS reporting requirements with the Academy’s Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR), the Spine Quality Outcomes Database (SQOD).

QCDR designation is important because it enables physiatric practices to identify and improve gaps in the quality of physiatric care, demonstrate their value to payers, and compare their performance to physiatrists nationwide. Since physiatry owns the data, you are empowered to tell your own story of value.

Hurry—you must sign up by October 1 to report for the 2017 reporting year. Don’t delay, talk to your practice manager today about participating in the SQOD to successfully meet your MIPS requirements. Learn more.

CMS has recently revamped the look of the Quality Payment Program website and also posted new resources to help clinicians successfully participate in the first year of the Quality Payment Program. Learn more.

AAPM&R was proud to work with 3 national coalitions, including 60 national rehabilitation and disability organizations and sponsor a Congressional briefing on the value of rehabilitation and habilitation services and devices. As Congress considers health care reform, it is critical that people with injuries, illnesses, and disabilities have continued access to rehabilitative and habilitative care. Your Academy will continue to advocate and be a Voice of Rehabilitation. Follow us on Twitter to see our efforts in real time!

There is a lot of information going around regarding health care reform. Your Academy compiled an overview of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), which is the Senate’s proposed legislation, and how it compares to the House bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), and the current Affordable Care Act (ACA). Read the overview here. Health care reform impacts your work, so your Academy strives to understand those changes so that we can support you!

Your Academy is awaiting publication of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, which is expected to coincide with the July 4th holiday. AAPM&R has been actively engaging in ongoing dialogue with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to fight for fair valuation of physiatry services. Learn more about our efforts.

Got coding questions? Your Academy has the answers. Each month we feature a member’s question with an answer provided by AAPM&R’s Reimbursement and Policy Review Committee (RPRC).

Q: When performing a four-limb EMG, should four units be billed or is there a modifier? Are all four units reimbursable?

Find the answer here.

Do you have a coding or billing question? Contact AAPM&R at codingquestions@aapmr.org for assistance.

Join AAPM&R Reimbursement and Policy Review Committee members Drs. Matthew Grierson and Scott Horn for a rapid-fire review of interventional physiatry coding. This complimentary webinar will answer your burning questions about physiatry coding. Register now.

Submit questions in advance to codingquestions@aapmr.org using the subject line "webinar question" to be sure you walk away with the coding knowledge you need.

Your Academy, represented by Dr. Bruce Pomeranz, is participating in the “Improving Hospital Outcomes through Patient Engagement (i-HOPE)” project. We would like input from all member physiatrists regarding any questions that are left unanswered related to hospitalization or the time immediately following hospitalization. Learn more and participate.

On June 8-14, your Academy representatives attended the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD) meeting. AMA delegates play a critical role in the democratic policy-making process. The PM&R delegation also held a reception in honor of Dr. Leon Reinstein’s retirement from the AMA HOD. View a full meeting recap here.

• Mallikarjun Nallegowda, MBBS, MD, DNB, MNAMS, FAAPMR, physiatrist at Parkview Medical Center in Colorado, is said to be the first doctor to notice and write about a rare congenital disorder, whose characteristics are missing hand bones, absence of a thumb, presence of 2 urethras, increased distance between the eyes, and an unusual location of kidney and heart. This rare condition is set to be named after him and will be called Nallegowda Syndrome. Read more.

Do you have a newsworthy story to share with your peers? Send us an email at: pressinquiries@aapmr.org. Please note: AAPM&R reserves the right to deny requests where the purpose or content may not be considered in the best interests of AAPM&R or its members.